Hello again, Reader.

It’s been a while since I last posted. A major project of mine has just come to a close, and as usual, the last stretch is often the toughest. Suffice to say that I am grateful that it’s finished, and excited for what’s next, but also happy to call my time my own and dedicate a little more attention to the important things in life (like this blog, for instance).

It’s a sleepy Sunday, and in the interest of keeping it that way, and to ease back into the swing of things here at Cotton Jenny Fabrics, I’ve got a great little list coming your way, Reader.

I’ve been packing up for the big move that is coming at the end of this month, and in the process, came across some of my favourite books that deal with all things fabric, all of which I cannot recommend highly or often enough. Check them out!

8. Women in Clothes. Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, Leanne Shapton, et al. This is a fantastic collection of the results of an enormous, and yet remarkably intimate, survey carried out by the authors with over six hundred and thirty women of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. The authors ask their subjects the same questions we often find ourselves mulling over in the morning as we stand, perplexed, before our own closets: how do these clothes make me feel? What is my favourite thing to wear? How have the opinions and feelings of others influenced how I feel about my wardrobe, and my body? These dialogues are interspersed with photographs and drawings, often of collections of garments (all the striped shirts owned by one woman; another’s collection of medical scrubs; a treasury of rings). It’s a sizable read, but due to the dippable nature of the surveys and interviews, it’s easy to get through, and begs to be re-read. The combination of these nutritious and delicious bite-sized morsels, and the surprising images alongside them, make this book reminiscent of the fascinating, funny, and frank conversations we have with our closest friends into the wee hours, teasing meaning from the tangled webs we weave.

Women in Clothes.

7. 100 Dresses. The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you ever find yourself, as I often do, hungry for some substantial but stylish, sumptuous reading, then look no further than 100 Dresses. This book reads like a fashion magazine written by textile and fashion historians, which, come to think of it, is exactly what it is. One hundred full-colour photographs of the Met’s most famous and significant pieces from their costume collection are on display here, with delightful amuse-bouche write-ups, giving you just enough information about the dress and its salient points to whet your appetite, but not to overwhelm. They offer up examples dating back as far as the late seventeenth century, and continue into the present-day with contemporary examples. My personal favourites include Jean Patou’s 1931 hand-painted silk satin cape and dress, as well as stunning evening gown by Madame Grès in ivory pleated jersey from 1954-55. Incidentally, Reader, I spent several minutes poring over the pictures, trying to pick out a few examples to offer you, but it was difficult not to just tell you about each dress: in fact, I defy anyone interested in fashion history not to drool over every single garment equally. That’s the lovely thing about this book: you can lust after the delicious dresses while still feeling mentally nourished, because, after all, it’s historical, and that counts for something, doesn’t it?

100 Dresses

6. Masters: Art Quilts Volume 1 and 2. Edited and curated by Martha Sielman. I am certain, Reader, that you, like me, find yourself nearly daily in defense of quilting as an art form, and wondering to yourself, “wherever will I find documentation of great quilting artists to show people how great quilts are and what a great medium it can be?” Well, I am here for you, Reader, and so is this two-volume series. These books give an extensive list of works by artists from all over the world who work in quilting. Some of my favourite artists on offer here are Elizabeth Brimelow, Caryl Bryer Fallert, and Noriko Endo, Karin Franzen, and Dirkje van der Horst-Beetsma, among others. Each artist has a biography dedicated to them, as well as lots of examples from their oeuvre. It’s lots of fun to flip through, whether for inspiration, or simply to enjoy and admire the wonderful work of some of the quilting world’s best and brightest.

Masters: Art Quilts

5. Heritage Quilt Collection. Agnes Etherington Art Centre.  Is there anything better than an exhibition catalogue? No, I thought not. They are like grown-up picture books, and ones that you can feel smugly proud of what you are reading, and be perfectly happy parading it before your friends and family. “Oh yes”, you say to them archly, “this is an exhibition catalogue.” They are duly impressed and you get to secretly enjoy looking at pictures and doing next to no reading at all, while still appearing deeply intellectual. This is one such book. There is a brief, cheerful introduction at the beginning, and the rest of the book is pretty picture after pretty picture. It’s also very lovely to have lots of Canadian content, and a celebration of Canadian women’s quilts. Perusing this book makes me feel deeply virtuous, and really, we can’t ask much more than that from our books. Unfortunately, this is a difficult book to get your hands on, so if you come across, nab it.

4. Tudor Roses. Alice Starmore. This is a fascinating book. Combining English history with knitting patterns might sound a little off-the-wall, but it’s a sumptuous, imaginative read, and an excellent well-spring of ideas for the avid knitter. The author has designed and executed gorgeous knitwear for the women of the Tudor court (thirteen in total), from Margaret Beauford to Anne Boleyn, and of course Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots are included. Jewellery was also designed specially for the publication. Each historical person is given a brief biography, which is followed by excellent knitting patterns and wonderful full-colour photographs showing the finished products to inspire the reader. This book makes a great work for avid historians and knitters alike. It’s artistic, intellectually stimulating, and quite simple, a very beautifully-executed book.

Tudor Roses

3. Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style. Smithsonian Museum. This book weighs a tonne, so not only do you get a lovely read, but your biceps get a great work out as well. It’s one of those wonderful books that is substantial enough to lay open on its own, without you having to hold it open, which is delightful. But physical qualities aside, this is a wonderful book, and about as comprehensive as you could possibly want. It starts with ancient history and travels through to the present day, with oodles of drawings, photographs, and tasty little tidbits of information, but almost no long stretches of writing to slog through. Instead, there’s a kind of pastiche of wonderful bits of pieces, but it all ends up flowing together so that you see the changes and developments in fashion and dress as time goes on. One of the best things about this book is how chock-full it is of definitions. Don’t know what a peter-pan collar is? Here’s a definition, picture, and historical background for you. Want to know an accordion pleat from your a box pleat? Look no further. I go back to this book again and again to look up definitions and check my facts. So really, it’s not only a fun romp through fashion, it’s a factually accurate and deeply useful reference book.

Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style

2. Beyond the Silhouette: Fashion and the Women of Historic Kingston. M. Elaine MacKay. This is a short but delightful morsel of women’s fashion in Kingston, Ontario. There’s a nice balance here of text and image, but one of the things I love most about this book is that the images provided are two-fold. Each garment is shown in full, but also in detail, so you can see the detail of the surface treatment, say, or the cunning buttons on a blouse, close-up and personal. The writing is cheerful and rollicking, and the garments and gowns are so pretty, you can’t help but go away from reading this book with an improved mood, and a strange desire to wear hoop shirts and ruffled blouses.

Beyond the Silhouette

1. The Lost Art of Dress. Linda Przybyszewski. I think this may be one of my favourite books. Not just favourite textile/fashion books: just one the best ones, period. The author is fierce, fiery, and funny, and deeply knowledgeable about her topic. This is a call to arms/ obituary/ historical narrative detailing the rise and fall of home economics in the United States, and the “Dress Doctors” who led the charge. Here you can find at once cheerful fan-girling, imperious and shrewd advice, and mournful recollections of days past, as well as great, helpful dress and dressing tips, some of which you can find here. This is a great book for travel, and excellent inspiration for those of us frustrated with buying, keeping, and wearing clothes, and certainly would make excellent fodder for righteously angry seamtresses’ flames. Strangely, I found it extremely useful to read this book immediately before clearing out my closet, Przybyszewski’s cheerful but clear-headed voice ringing in my ears. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Read it. Please.

The Lost Art of Dress

I hope something here has tempted your appetite, Reader. I know it has mine: I’ve purposefully kept these books out of the packing boxes, so I can go through them again a few times before moving day arrives. It cheers me to think that you might be reading them alongside me one of these days.

Until next time, Reader.

Yours,

Cotton Jenny